The Multiverse Library
by Pansy Tor
Summary: Team RWBY were just minding their own business, relaxing in their dorm when suddenly they're plucked out of their time and space along with Professors Goodwitch and Ozpin. The six of them are told to watch alternate realities of Jaune Arc by a mysterious man... who seems to really like books. Inspired by animegamer98's Into the Arc-hive.
1. The Library

**(A/N): Hey everyone! Tor here, just here to say hi before this thing kicks off. I've got a lot of ideas I want to play around with, and a lot of universes I want to see Jaune in. If you happen to have a suggestion about which franchises Jaune could be part of, send me a message or leave a comment! I was inspired to write this from animegamer89's 'Into the Arc-Hive', so go check them out! They write really well. Without further ado, here we go!**

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"Who's ready for movie night?" Yang asked. Though, perhaps yelled would be more accurate. "Because I sure as hell am!"

"Yang, language!" Weiss scolded her, while Blake ignored them both and Ruby tied the laces on her boots. All of them were getting ready to go on what Ruby liked to call a "team bonding exercise" A.K.A. going to the movie theater. It was something that they did at least once a month when they could if homework and Miss Goodwitch were willing. Yang and Weiss continued to bicker in the background as Ruby hopped up to her feet, skipping over to where Blake laid on her bed, reading a book. "Well?" she asked.

One of Blake's eyebrows rose without her ever turning from her book, the question evident. Some people might have thought that rude but Ruby understood. Kinda. It was just the way Blake was.

"Are you excited for the movies, Blake?" She asked with a bright smile. Blake dogeared the page she was reading and set her book down, standing and stretching before answering.

"Yes, actually. I've heard about a lot of interesting movies going on."

Ruby felt a sudden weight on her shoulders as her sister caught her off guard, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close. Yang's fist came down and rubbed the top of Ruby's head as she struggled desperately but ineffectually. "How do you manage to hear _any_ rumors, Blake? You don't even hang around other people!"

"Well, Yang, it's usually easier to hear things when you aren't talking all the time," Blake said, watching with some amusement at the two sisters. Yang grinned at her, taking Blake's jab in stride.

"Ooh, feisty! Kitten has claws!" There was a collective groan from the other members of team RWBY at Yang's horrible pun. Using that moment of distraction, Ruby finally managed to get free, hair significantly more frazzled than it was before. She tried to tug it down as best she could, but gave up when it was clear she was only going to be able to do so much to flatten it down back to where it should be.

"Everyone ready?" Ruby asked. The other girls nodded their assent. "Alright, let's go!" she cheered, racing to the door and flinging it open, stepping out into the hallway, her teammates close behind.

Except... it wasn't a hallway anymore.

"What the-?" Ruby gasped.

They had somehow entered into what seemed to be a large antechamber or reception area. The room's floor was made of marble, the walls sported no windows, but was made of dark wood and far enough apart that it would be able to fit two of Beacon's dorm rooms side by side. There were plain wooden doors placed regularly along the walls, each with no discernible markings or special attributes. The ceiling stretched high above them, supported by stone pillars that were engraved and highlighted with gold. Far down the room to their left, they saw large metal double doors with golden curved handles.

As all of team RWBY slowly stepped into the room, they heard the door behind them click shut. They whirled around and Yang tried to open it again, being the nearest to it. When it wouldn't budge she tried to force it open, but no matter how much she struggled, the door never looked any closer to opening. The sound of a door opening had them whirling around. Out of it stepped Professor Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch. Goodwitch's hand went for her crop, but it was no longer holstered to her side. Ozpin glanced around, a mug of coffee in his hand. "How curious," he commented mildly. "This is not my office."

Team RWBY rushed over to them. "Professor Goodwitch, Headmaster Ozpin!" Weiss exclaimed as they approached the two professors. "Where are we? What is this place?"

Ozpin and Goodwitch shared a glance before the combat teacher replied. "I'm afraid we don't know, miss Schnee. Remain calm, however. I'm sure we'll be able to figure everything out."

"That's right, since I'm gonna explain everything to you!" a new voice, filled with cheer and having a slight accent to it, caused them all to turn to confront the new speaker. They saw an older man in front of them, smiling at them warmly. His face and skin were lightly tanned and his cheeks were adorned with a few freckles. Straight dark brown hair, almost black, sat atop his head neatly, combed carefully into place. Smile lines framed his mouth and white teeth winked at them. He was nearly six feet tall and wore overalls along with a plain white shirt. The man strode towards them, hand outstretched to Professor Ozpin. "I'm the Librarian, and I'm here to guide you all on a tour full of wonder!" Ozpin, after a moment of reluctance, returned the gesture with a firm grip.

"If you are the Librarian, would I be able to presume that we are in a Library?" he asked. The Librarian's grin grew wider.

"You're allowed to presume anything, Ozpin, but yes, you are in the Library," the odd man turned around and stepped towards the set of double doors at the end of the room. "Before I can tell you anything else, allow me to give you the full tour of the place!" He opened one of the doors and gestured towards the room that lay within. Team RWBY shuffled nervously while Ozpin and Goodwitch shared a glance. He nodded subtly at her, taking the lead.

"Come along, students, this promises to be intriguing." They followed behind him as Professor Goodwitch followed them at the rear of the group. Weiss and Blake recognized what they were doing, forming a protective formation around them. The group all entered the room the Librarian gestured to, gasping at what they saw.

"Welcome to the Multiverse Library!"

At first, the room seemed to be rather plain and dimly lit. The floor was carpeted dark maroon and had a decline that started a few feet from the door, with 4 rows of 12 comfortable-looking chairs in front of them. Directly in front of them on a small platform on the decline was a strange device that had several slots in one side and what appeared to be a lens facing to the front of the room. The wall immediately in front of them was made of plaster that had been painted a black color and had a large white screen that appeared to be installed directly into the wall. To their left and right, there were no walls. Instead, there were rows upon rows of what appeared to be shelves extending endlessly into the darkness, further than they could see. The shelves also were so tall that they extended well into the sky and that is when they noticed that there wasn't a ceiling in the room. Small flashes and twinkles of light played at the edges of their vision when they looked up into the sky. Blake approached one of the shelves. On individual stands, there were what appeared to be tablets made of some sort of crystal. Each crystal was a flat box that was the size of an average length book, and each crystal tablet had colors inside the center. All tablets had a yellow glow in their core, but some also had another color that was mixed in while remaining distinct. She saw some had different shades of red, white, or pink. Most of the tablets she saw had a mixed core of yellow and purple, which struck her both as odd and making some sort of weird sense to her. She returned to the group as the Librarian also stepped into the room, spreading his arms wide in a grand gesture.

"Here lies records of all known variants of the multiverse, all following one singular person."

Ozpin curved a single eyebrow, regarding the man before them more critically. Professor Goodwitch looked slightly bemused, a slight tilt to her head. Most of team RWBY was equally if not more confused. "Wait, what do you mean by multiverse?!" Weiss cried. "That doesn't make any sense! How could there be more than one universe?" The Librarian turned towards her, smile widening.

"Exactly what it sounds like, miss. The multiverse is functionally infinite, an ever-growing web of decisions, events, tragedies, and joys. It-"

Now Glynda interrupted the man, a frown having formed on her face. "Wait a minute. How could this 'multiverse' be infinite? Nothing can be infinite."

The Librarian shrugged. "I said _functionally_ infinite. There isn't an infinite number of universes. But every time a significant decision is made, one that changes the course of someone's life, a new universe is created. Now, as I was saying," he added, shooting Professor Goodwitch a very patient look. "This Library is one of many Libraries. Each time a significant change happens in the course of the life of one Jaune Arc, a new record is created here, to be archived by me. And now you've been brought here by the Author for a once in a lifetime opportunity!" He gestured widely again, smiling at them. "You get to view some of these archives until the Author has decided you've seen enough! Any questions, kids?"

Professor Ozpin cleared his throat. The Librarian turned to him, gesturing for him to ask his question. "Who is this Author? Am I to believe you're referencing a-"

"God?" the Librarian finished. "No, not exactly. The Author is the one who has penned these universes, but he isn't a God per se. More a being who is interested in creating as much as he can."

The professor's eyebrows came together in a befuddled expression. "I'm sorry, but does the Author pen these universes or does he just record what happens? That doesn't seem very clear to me."

"Yes," came the simple reply. Ozpin sipped from his mug.

"I don't suppose you'd care to say more about the subject?"

"Nope," The Librarian said, emphasizing the 'p' with a popping sound. Ozpin sighed in response. The strange man known as the librarian turned to address everyone gathered around him. "Now," he said. "Are there any more questions before we get started?" Ruby meekly raised her hand, and the Librarian chuckled and pointed to her. "Yes, young miss?"

Lowering her hand, Ruby clasped them in front of her, swaying side to side. "So, every crystal-slab-thing here is an entire universe about Jaune?" The Librarian nodded.

"Yes, though that isn't to say that Jaune Arc is always the main focus of the story. Sometimes he's a supporting character, sometimes he's the lead, sometimes he's the villain. He's been maimed in some, rewarded in others, betrayed in others still. There are as many representations of Jaune Arc as there are stars in the night sky. The same goes for all of you. Each of you has your own Library handled by a Librarian like me. Now, everyone come and sit down. The chairs are comfortable, I assure you." As they moved to do so, the Librarian stopped Blake. "Go ahead and pick out a record for us to view, miss. Just walk right up and take one down, just be careful not to drop it. Wouldn't want any cracks to appear. Oh, and," he winked at her. "Make sure it's a good one."

Blake nodded and grabbed one that had a mixed core of yellow and a lighter lavender color. Bringing it to the man, she went to join her team at their seats as he turned around and fiddled with the machine behind them.

"Now, without further ado... Let us begin."

The lights dimmed and the watched in anticipation as a short countdown appeared.

3...

2...

1...


	2. Captain Vale (Part 1)

**Back again with another chapter! I decided to start off with something that doesn't deviate too much from what I see Jaune as. In my eyes, he's always seemed like a Captain America-esque character. Loyal and with a moral code that sometimes doesn't align with the law but always comes from the right place.**

* * *

**The screen brightened to show an overhead view of a city. A bridge larger than one they'd ever seen before stretched to an island where many tall buildings rose into the sky. A voice of someone they couldn't see spoke.**

"**O'Connell, Michael," it called out as if reading from a list. "Kaminsky, Henry." The scene shifted to the inside of what looked like a medical office. Dozens of men were sitting around the room in pants but with no shirt. The view panned over several men reading newspapers, until it stopped before two in particular. The one on the right read "U-BOATS TORPEDO SHIP OFF VALE COAST" while the other one read "NAZIS RETAKE ZHITOMIR."**

Yang wolf-whistled at the sight of the men. "Momma likes!" Ruby groaned as Weiss scolded her. Blake merely rolled her eyes.

"Control yourself, Xiao-Long!" she hissed. Yang laughed at her.

"I can't help having an appreciation for good sights," she said.

Professor Goodwitch, ignoring the children for now, spoke to the Librarian. "Who are the Nazis? I've never heard of them."

He paused the screen. "A group of people who subscribed to a political belief called 'socialism'," the Librarian instructed, sounding very much like one of their professors. "They used it to seize power and then initiated the attempted genocide of an ethnic group, to the tune of 6 million casualties."

That shocked each and every one of them, "Six million?!" Ruby asked, devastated. The Librarian nodded.

"How could there be so many people with the Grimm around?" Weiss asked, genuinely curious.

"Ah. Well, in this universe and in many others, in fact, there are no Grimm. Nor is there aura."

Everyone took a second to comprehend that. No Grimm to threaten humanity and no aura to protect people. They realized that would also mean no huntsman or huntresses. Ruby's brow furrowed.

"But why would those Nazis try to kill a whole bunch of people?"

This time, Ozpin answered, not the Librarian. "Through life, miss Rose, one often finds that sometimes people can make worse monsters than Grimm ever could." The Librarian shrugged in agreement. On that depressing note, they paid attention to the screen again as the Librarian restarted the viewing.

**The man on the left spoke. "Boy, a lot of guys getting killed over there."**

"**Arc, Jaune," the announcer's voice rang out. The newspaper on the right lowered, revealing a Jaune Arc that was skinny, small, and looked gaunt and sickly. His skin was paler than it usually was in their universe. He set his newspaper aside and stood up. The man on the left continued talking.**

"**It kind of makes you think twice about enlisting, huh?"**

"**Nope," came the simple and confident reply from Jaune as he stepped off towards the medical officer to receive his medical examination results. He was here to enlist in the military, to help the country of the Vale in the war to defeat the Nazis. Nothing would get in between him and serving his country.**

"Oh gosh, Jaune looks so… sick!" Ruby said, worried for her friend.

"All the same, it appears Mr. Arc is determined to help where he can," Ozpin commented, sipping from his mug.

"Yeah, that does sound like Vomit Boy," Yang joked. In truth she didn't think he had any chance at all of joining.

"**Arc," the medical officer greeted him. He was a bald white man wearing a medical doctor's coat and a military uniform underneath. He was perusing the file that had been submitted when Jaune enlisted. "What did your father die of?"**

**Jaune seemed a little nervous now that he was directly in front of the medical staff. "Mustard gas." There was a slight pause, where he seemed to decide something. "He was in the 107****th**** Infantry. I was hoping I could be assigned- "**

"**Your mother?" the doctor interrupted him. He had too many of these examinations to get through today and it wasn't like he could decide where the guy went anyway.**

"**She was a nurse in a TB ward. Got hit. Couldn't shake it."**

**Now the camera zoomed in to the file that the doctor was looking at. It revealed a list labeled "Summary of Patient Health Issues" which contained no less than 12 listed issues, ranging from 'scarlet fever' to 'asthma' to 'high blood pressure.' The medical officer shook his head. "Sorry, son."**

"He's even more ill than we thought, apparently," Blake said. "There's no way they'd accept him like that."

"Well, they could…" Ruby said doubtfully. Weiss scoffed.

"Please, he'd be more of a burden and danger to his unit than anything the enemy could throw at them. Even our Jaune would be more useful."

"Weiss, that's not nice…" Ruby pouted. Jaune had improved a lot! Weiss was just being mean. Probably because of the whole Jaune wooing her thing. And the singing outside their door. And the flirting. What was she trying to say again?

"**Look, just give me a chance," Jaune pleaded with the man desperately. He'd tried so hard this time to make it in.**

"**You'd be ineligible on your asthma alone," the doctor said, shaking his head again. Jaune looked down, despondent. He looked back up into the eyes of the medical officer.**

"**Is there anything you can do?" he asked, just to have some hope. The doctor reached for a stamp and inked it.**

"**I'm doing it," he said, sounding more resigned than he was sorry. He'd done this a dozen times before, but that didn't mean he liked it. But he wasn't gonna send this kid where he could get himself or others killed. "I'm saving your life."**

**He stamped the file with the code "4F" signifying that Jaune was to be rejected from enlisting. He looked away, angry but unable to argue with the doctor. He knew what kind of condition he was in. He'd lived his whole life with these diseases, after all. **

"I hate to say it…" Yang began. "But the doc's probably doing the right thing. He'd probably have a heart attack before he even got to the battle."

No one else could find any reason to argue, as much as some of them wanted to. They knew that they wouldn't want to be fighting beside this Jaune, even if they didn't want to say it.

**The scene switched to a theater, where on the screen an old black and white propaganda film was playing, showing an odd flag they'd never seen before. **_**"War continues to ravage Solitas…"**_** a narrator began saying. The propaganda film began showing different scenes of both war-torn Solitas and also young Valean men. **_**"But help is on the way! Every able-bodied young man is lining up to serve his country."**_** The camera turned to show Jaune sitting in the audience, an irritated look on his face. He'd thought to calm himself down after his rejection with a cartoon show, but even now his own failures were being brought up to his face. The camera shifted back to the screen, showing a young boy moving scrap metal. **_**"Even little Timmy is doing his part, collecting scrap metal! Good work, Timmy!" **_**The sight made Jaune even more dejected than he already was. Even a kid was better than him. Worth more than him.**

"**Who cares?" a man said loudly in the row in front of Jaune. People in the audience looked over but didn't say anything. "Play the movie already!" he said, slightly louder this time. Several people looked uncomfortable but still didn't say anything to him.**

"Ugh, I hate people like that!" Ruby complained. "It's like, why even go to the movies at all you jerk!"

"Seeing that boy helping can't help Mr. Arc's esteem very much," Professor Goodwitch commented to the headmaster. Ozpin hummed and sipped from his mug.

"No, it certainly wouldn't. Knowing Mr. Arc, however, he'll try again somewhere else."

She nodded in agreement. Jaune always pursued what he wanted no matter the obstacles.

"**Hey, you wanna show some respect?" Jaune said, quietly seething. The man either didn't hear him or ignored him deliberately. The film continued, showing injured soldiers.**

"_**Meanwhile, overseas, our brave boys are showing the Axis powers that the price of freedom is never too high!"**_** The loud man interrupted again, now nearly yelling.**

"**Let's go! Get on with it!" he said, firmly irritated at this bullshit that was getting in the way of his movie time. He got louder with each word he spoke, now grabbing the attention of nearly everyone in the audience. "Hey, just start the cartoon!"**

**Finally, Jaune had had enough. He leaned forward in his seat. "Hey, you wanna shut up?" he said, anger in his voice. The man in front of him stood, his silhouette towering over Jaune. He realized his temper may have gotten him into trouble this time. **

"Yeah Jaune, you show him!" Ruby cheered. Blake looked over to her.

"I don't think Jaune will be in any shape to show him anything," she reminded her. Ruby suddenly deflated.

"Oh yeah…" they winced as the next scene came into view.

**The scene suddenly cut to an alleyway, where the loud man from before socked him with a solid punch to the jaw, knocking Jaune to the ground. He quickly stood up, back against the wall, but the man punched him again, harder this time. Jaune fell once again, this time against some trash that was in the alleyway. He grabbed the top of a trash can, holding it like a shield. The bigger man ripped the trash can lid away from him, clocking him in the face again, making Jaune fall hard to the ground. However, he was quickly up on his feet again, putting his fists into a crude approximation of a stance. His lip was split and his face was bruised. He rolled his shoulders, catching his breath.**

"**You just don't know when to give up, do you?" the bully said smugly, gesturing with his hands. Jaune got ready, holding his fists up in place. He was swaying a little. The bully's blows had rattled his brain somewhat.**

"**I could do this all day," he said, panting. He lunged forward with a wild haymaker. The other man blocked it with his arm, barely feeling anything from the punch. He retaliated with a cross, knocking Jaune down face first into the metal trash can he'd grabbed the lid from. He wasn't moving, unconscious.**

"**Hey!" a new voice rang out, male and sounding like it was lined with steel. A man in a military uniform grabbed the bully by the arm, pulling him towards the entrance of the alley and away from Jaune. "Pick on someone your own size," he threatened. They now got to have a full view of the man, revealing a clean-shaven tall man with broad shoulders. His hair was a bright red and his eyes were a vibrant green, currently glaring angrily at the bully who'd been picking on his friend.**

"Wait…" the man looked familiar to them. It was Weiss who was able to recognize who that was.

"Is that Pyrrha?" she asked incredulously.

"No way, Pyrrha's not a hot guy!" Yang exclaimed.

"It is Pyrrha," the Librarian confirmed. "Well, in this universe his name is Pyrrhus Nikos. He and Jaune have been friends for a long time. Pyrrhus joined the army the first chance he could get when the war broke out."

Weiss secretly thought that Pyrrhus looked very handsome, though she refrained from sharing that opinion out loud where Yang might hear her. The teasing would be endless.

**The bully charged towards him with a jab, but the soldier swiftly and cleanly dodged and retaliated with a cross so hard it turned the other man completely around. While the bully was recovering Pyrrhus kicked him, shoving him out towards the street. The bully decided that now was probably a good time to retreat, and rushed off, holding his head.**

**After making sure that the bully was really leaving, Pyrrhus turned back towards Jaune, who had woken up and was picking himself off the ground. "Sometimes, I think you **_**like**_** getting punched." **

**Jaune was hunched over, spitting out a little blood and catching his breath. "I had him on the ropes," he panted out. He was so distracted didn't notice the documentation from his enlistment had fallen out of his pocket during the fight. Pyrrhus leaned down and picked it up as Jaune tried to staunch his head's bleeding by holding his hand against his wounds. "How many times is this?" Jaune's longtime friend asked, opening up the documents. He saw the "4F" stamped on the paper. Something else caught his attention. "Oh, you're from Paramus now?" he asked sarcastically. Jaune didn't look at him, concentrating on trying to clean his sullied clothing. "You know it's illegal to lie on the enlistment form. And seriously, Jersey?"**

"What?" Ruby gasped. "But if it's illegal, he could get in trouble for that! Why would he lie?"

"Maybe he doesn't want other recruitment offices to know he's been rejected before," Weiss suggested.

"Or maybe you _can't_ apply more than once for the military," Blake added.

"Seems like a lotta effort just to join the army, though," Yang threw in. The others nodded. Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch shared a knowing glance.

**It wasn't anything Pyrrhus hadn't said to Jaune before. But it seemed Jaune was determined to get himself killed by any means possible. Jaune finally looked at his best friend and he was surprised to see that Pyrrhus was wearing a military uniform. "You get your orders?" he asked, a line of worry etched on his brow. **

**Pyrrhus folded the documents before answering. "The 107****th****," he confirmed. "Sergeant Pyrrhus Nikos, shipping out for Solitas first thing tomorrow." Jaune shook his head and looked at the ground in disappointment. Disappointment that not only was Pyrrhus leaving him, but that Jaune himself couldn't go with to support him and to watch his back. They'd been friends for a long time and had always had each other's support. Now would be the first time they wouldn't. **

"**I should be going," he said sullenly, looking back up into Pyrrhus' eyes. Pyrrhus met them with a serious expression, only for that to quickly crack into a smile. **

"**Come on, man," he said, pulling Jaune into a one-armed hug and half walking, half supporting him as they walked out of the alleyway. "It's my last night! I got to get you cleaned up."**

"The 107th. If I remember correctly, that's the unit Mr. Arc wanted to get into," Professor Ozpin commented. "I guess we know why he asked for that one specifically."

"He does seem rather upset that he isn't going to fight alongside Pyrrha," Goodwitch added.

"Jaune's always been one to stand by his friends!" Ruby said with a smile.

"He does seem rather loyal," Blake echoed.

**Jaune steadied his pace and Pyrrhus let go, allowing Jaune to walk under his own power. Jaune was confused by what Pyrrhus said. "Why, where are we going?" he asked.**

"**The future," his best friend replied, handing him his documents and a newspaper. On the newspaper was an advertisement for something called the "WORLD EXPOSITION OF TOMORROW!" The scene suddenly transitioned to night time and to a grand display of a huge globe with different continents on it. A tram raced overhead on a rail and fireworks signified the beginning of the event, the Schnee Science Expo. Jaune and Pyrrhus were walking towards the entrance together.**

"**I don't see what the problem is!" Pyrrhus exclaimed. "You're about to be the last eligible man in the city of Vale. You know there's three and a half million women here?" he asked, grinning like a cat. Jaune laughed.**

"**Well, I'd settle for just one."**

**Pyrrhus smirked and waved to two people in the distance. "Good thing I took care of that." Two women were standing near a statue, waiting for them. One of them waved back.**

"**Hey Pyr!" she called. Jaune slowed down a little, but Pyrrhus didn't so much as waver, so he kept pace. He had an exasperated look on his face. **

"**What did you tell her about me?" he asked, irritated at his friend. He was always doing crap like this.**

"Hah! Bet our Pyrrha'd love to see that," Yang joked with a smile. "Helping Jaune find a lady friend."

Weiss scoffed. "I honestly don't know what she sees in him anyway. The buffoon can't seem to walk five feet without stumbling over his own feet."

"You're just sour because he's stopped trying to woo you," Yang teased her.

"Hardly. I'm more relieved than anything."

"**Only the good stuff," Pyrrhus assured him, grinning broadly. Jaune quickly straightened his hair as he was introduced to the two ladies. He'd always been terrible at remembering names and this time proved no different, as he quickly forgot whatever their names were. Becky and Stacy or something. Honestly, Jaune didn't particularly care. Together the four of them made their way into the expo's main hall. Inside it was overly crowded with people. Various brightly lit stands with flashing signs were inside, people showing off all their latest and coolest inventions. Over the entrance were the letters "SCHNEE INDUSTRIES". Pyrrhus and the two ladies led the way, while Jaune decided to hang back. The girls weren't here for him anyway, they were here for 'Pyr'. A display to their left caught their attention.**

"**Oh my God! It's starting!" one of the women said excitedly. They dragged Pyrrhus off towards the exhibit, Jaune trailing behind, holding a bag of popcorn. They slowly made their way to the front, able to find good spots for themselves, Jaune settling in just behind them. He had to crane his neck in order to be able to see over the ladies' shoulders. A line of women in skimpy clothing were on the stage in front of a bright red car. One of them announced loudly to the crowd.**

"**Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Schnee!" As she spoke, Jacques Schnee strode from off stage, wearing a full tuxedo and a top hat. The woman who announced him met him at the center of the stage, where he took off his hat and handed it to her. With her hands full, he brought her in for a kiss on the lips as people clapped, waiting to see what the renowned scientist had brought before them today. Jacques took the microphone as a lady from the crowd cried "I love you, Jacques!" His helpers made their way off to the backstage as Jacques, using a napkin from his pocket, wiped his lips clean of lipstick, Jacques brought the microphone to his mouth.**

Weiss' mouth gaped open, creating a perfect impression of a fish. Yang whistled loudly.

"Damn, Weiss, your dad is a player! And still rich, too."

"Miss Xiao-Long! Language!" Professor Goodwitch snapped. Yang chuckled nervously.

"Sorry teach!" she said sheepishly.

"Schnee Industries, huh?" Ruby asked. "Doesn't sound all that different from Schnee Dust Company."

"Perhaps my father simply runs a different type of company," Weiss said. "Now hush, I want to see what he's showing off."

"_**Ladies and Gentlemen," **_**he began, his voice emanating from speakers on either side of the stage. Jaune offered some of his popcorn to his 'date', causing her to look at him at first with confusion, then annoyance. Jaune pulled the popcorn back, mentally shrugging. More for him. Jacques continued presenting on the stage. **_**"What if I told you that in just a few short years, your automobile won't even have to touch the ground at all?"**_** It seemed that Schnee's helpers were waiting for him to say this, as they reappeared, moving to take the tires, which hadn't been attached to the car at all. As they pulled the wheels back it was revealed that where they should be instead there was some sort of a metal device. It almost looked like some kind of engine or generator and was made of shiny chrome.**

"_**With Schnee Gravitic Reversion Technology you'll be able to do just that." **_** Jacques made his way to a console that stood in front of the car. Turning a dial and pulling a lever, the strange devices started to glow and make a low humming noise as the car amazingly was able to propel itself off of the ground. People in the crowd made sounds of excitement and wonder. This was something out of a science fiction novel! Jacques turned to look at the crowd, smirking smugly. He gestured towards the car as people began to clap. **

"That… seems kind of underwhelming, sorry Weiss," Blake said. Ruby and Yang quietly agreed with her, though Ozpin and Professor Goodwitch decided to withhold their thoughts until they had more information.

"No, you're right to say so," Weiss replied, brow furrowed with thought. "That's something that seems pretty simple. The right quantity of gravity dust would-"

The Librarian cleared his throat and they turned to him. "I might have, uh… forgotten to mention that along with no Grimm and aura there's also no dust. No equivalent either."

Now the 6 of them truly began to appreciate the sight before them. To do such a thing without dust was truly impressive.

**There was suddenly the sound of popping electricity and one of the device's glow began to flicker in and out. Sparks flew out, surprising everyone and causing some in the crowd to scream. The car crashed to the ground, glass shattering and engine smoking. People murmured to each other but still began to clap for the display. Jacques cleared his throat a little.**

"_**I did say a few years, didn't I?"**_** he said, still smiling though without as much smugness. Jaune wasn't too impressed with the display and looked towards other parts of the expo from where he was standing. One thing did catch his eye. A tall stand with a poster of a man pointing out, saying "I WANT YOU FOR THE VALEAN ARMY! ENLIST NOW!" Jacques chuckled nervously as Pyrrhus turned to Jaune. **

"**Hey Jaune, what do you say we treat these girls- " he didn't say what they should treat the girls to, because suddenly Jaune wasn't there. Pyrrhus became worried, but he knew there was only one place Jaune would go at a convention like this. **

"It appears Mr. Arc is going to try to enlist again," Ozpin deduced. He went to drink from his mug, only to discover it was empty. He went to set it down only to see it spontaneously refill to the brim with a dark liquid that smelled strongly of coffee. He looked over to the Librarian, who winked at him and gave him a thumbs up.

"Oh no…" Ruby whined nervously. "What if they catch him this time?"

"Nah, he's done this four times now, he'll be fine. He's a pro!" Yang reassured her sister.

**The camera cut to a building that was outside of the main expo area. Letters on the top labeled it as the "VALE ARMED SERVICES RECRUITMENT". Jaune could be seen walking in, hands in his pockets. Just inside and off to the right, there was a small display with a metal pressure plate. A man stepped on it and a light shined on his face, revealing a mirror over a painting of a soldier's uniform, making it look like the man was wearing the uniform. His girlfriend giggled and tugged his hand, pulling him off the display. "Come on, soldier," she said.**

**Jaune took the opportunity to step on the plate himself. The light turned on once again, but Jaune wasn't tall enough to make the image quite right. Just another reminder of what a failure he was. He heard footsteps coming up behind him. A hand playfully shoved him as Pyrrhus spoke.**

"**Come on! You're kinda missing the point of a double date. We're taking the girls dancing." Jaune turned to face him as Pyrrhus walked away, having not seen what Jaune was standing on. He shoved his hands in his pockets again, shrouded in his dark feelings.**

"**You go ahead. I'll catch up with you," he said, not meeting Pyrrhus' eyes. Jaune's tone made his friend stop and turn back to him. He finally saw what it was that Jaune was doing. His smile dropped and he sighed in resignation.**

"Uh oh, Jaune's in trouble~!" Yang said, laughing. Pyrrha- or Pyrrhus, she supposed- didn't look very happy with what Jaune was doing. "Maybe he'll do something drastic."

"Like what?" Ruby asked.

"Well, if it were our Pyrrha I bet I know exactly what she'd do to keep him still," Yang said waggling her eyebrows.

"**You're really going to do this again?" he asked, already knowing the answer. Jaune shrugged.**

"**Well, it's a fair. I'm gonna try my luck." **

**Pyrrhus cut in angrily. "As who, John from Ohio?" When Jaune didn't respond he continued. "They'll catch you. Or **_**worse**_**, they'll actually take you!" **

**Jaune looked down away from his best friend. "Look, I know you don't think I can do this, but- "**

**Pyrrhus interrupted him. "This isn't a back alley Jaune! It's war."**

"**I know it's a war."**

"**Why are you so keen to fight, huh? There are so many other important jobs!"**

**Now Jaune met Pyrrhus' eyes. "What do you want me to do? Collect scrap metal in my little red wagon?" he said, anger burning in his cobalt eyes. Pyrrhus rolled his eyes.**

"**Yes! Why not? It- " This time Jaune interrupted him.**

"**I'm not gonna sit in a factory, Pyr." Pyrrhus tried to cut in but Jaune kept going. "Pyr, come on! There are men laying down their lives," his voice had raised in their argument, catching the attention of an elderly man who was a short distance away. The older man stopped and listened with interest. Jaune continued. "I got no right to do any less than them. **_**That's **_**what you don't understand. This isn't about me!"**

Though they didn't say it out loud, team RWBY found themselves respecting this version of Jaune a little more. A man who wanted to help people and would do anything to do it, who would lay down his life to save another's.

"Well, he seems to really want to fight in this war," Blake commented. "I guess we just got a little of his reasoning. Though, I can't imagine that's the _only_ reason."

The two professors agreed quietly. This Jaune seemed to be just as dedicated as their own universes. After all, what were the chances that he'd fake official documents in two universes to achieve much the same outcome?

"Is that professor Oobleck?" Weiss asked suddenly. "What's he doing there?"

Yang shrugged. "I mean, if Pyrrha can show up in other universes I guess he can, too."

"No, I mean, why is it him when we haven't seen Nora or Ren yet?"

Yang shrugged again. She didn't have the answer and she didn't really care if she did.

"**Right," Pyrrhus said sarcastically. "'Cause you got nothing to prove." The two glared at each other, but Pyrrhus broke first, sighing and closing his eyes. He looked like he was going to say something else but was interrupted by his date.**

"**Hey sarge!" she called. "We going dancing?" **

**Pyrrhus pivoted, a quick smile forming on his face. He gestured towards them as he flirtily said, "Yes we are." Turning back to Jaune he took a breath as if to say something again, face serious again, but his moment was gone. He shook his head instead as he began walking away. "Don't do anything stupid until I get back." He called as the distance between them grew.**

"**How can I?" Jaune retorted, a small smile on his face that was tinged with sadness. "You're bringing all the stupid with you," he joked. His tone made Pyrrhus stop and walk back.**

"**You're a punk," he said as he wrapped his arms around Jaune in an embrace.**

"**Jerk," Jaune said back, smile a little less sad than it was before. He clapped his hands on Pyrrhus' back as they separated. "Be careful," he said in farewell as Pyrrhus now began to leave in earnest, walking backwards for a moment. Pyrrhus nodded at him, before turning and walking away. Jaune felt as if he needed to say something else, something better.**

"**Don't win the war till I get there!" he called out. His best friend turned and gave him a salute before finally rejoining the two girls. Jaune heard his fading voice address the two ladies as he walked away.**

"**Come on, girls. They're playing our song…"**

**When Jaune couldn't see them anymore he turned around and walked back into the building towards the recruitment area. Time to test his luck one more time. He passed by Dr. Oobleck, who watched him with sharp eyes. When he saw Jaune going into recruitment area, he checked his watch before hurrying after him. His break was almost up.**

"I hope it goes well…" Ruby said anxiously.

"Seriously, sis, lighten up! I bet he'll get accepted and we'll get to see him become a bada-" Yang didn't finish that sentence, catching Professor Goodwitch's eye as the professor glared her down. "Er, I mean, really good fighter!" she finished instead.

"That… doesn't seem very likely," Blake commented. "I don't think he'll be joining the army at all. There's no way he can fight like that."

The Librarian quietly chuckled, both were right though neither knew it. He was excited to see how they'd react to the next part.

* * *

**So there you have it! The first bit of reaction done! I'd like to update with a new chapter around every Thursday, so we'll see how well I can keep myself beholden to that. Also, thank you all so much for the reviews! Rest assured that I have seen your reviews and your PM's. Some of you have had very good ideas that I will certainly be using at some point. **

**Next week will be the next part of the Captain Vale reaction. **


	3. Captain Vale (Part 2)

**Back again with another chapter, this one much longer than the last one. I don't want to drag out this particular viewing any longer than I want it to, so it will hopefully only be one or two more chapters before I move on to the next one. Not every viewing is going to be as in-depth as this one is, for sure. It should be a pattern where there's one big in-depth viewing like this followed by a small break with less detailed viewings and couple intermissions, then repeat.**

* * *

**Jaune was sitting on a medical table, which was really a repurposed military issue cot, rebuttoning his shirt having taken it off for his examination. The room itself was very standard and spartan, having only the cot, a single chair, and a few medical posters on one wall. A curtain served as the entrance and exit and was the only way out of the room. Across from him, he watched a balding middle-aged doctor begin packing up his equipment, writing some last minutes notes in Jaune's file. Suddenly, a nurse rushed into the room and strode to the doctor, whispering in his ear. Jaune was instantly on edge.**

**As the nurse left, the doctor nodded towards him. "Wait here," he said brusquely before also making towards the exit.**

"**Is there a problem?" Jaune asked quickly. The doctor stopped a moment to half turn towards him.**

"**Just wait here," he said, before leaving Jaune alone.**

"Uh oh," Ruby said nervously. "That doesn't sound good."

Blake shook her head. "He was bound to be caught sooner or later. Especially since he probably wouldn't have access to a lot of resources. It's easier to be caught if all you're doing is changing the names of a couple entries."

**Jaune looked behind him towards the metal placard in the room, which read "IT IS ILLEGAL TO FALSIFY YOUR ENLISTMENT FORM". He looked towards the curtain worriedly, and then decided that he had to leave, now, and try again at some other place. Standing, he went over to where his shoes were, quickly slipping them on his feet, beginning to relace them as quickly as he could. Before he could finish, however, a man entered. The man was wearing a military uniform with an arm band and a helmet that had the letters MP stamped on them. He stood ramrod straight, staring at Jaune like a hawk who had caught his prey. Jaune sighed. It was over, he'd been found out. **

**The curtain opened, revealing Doctor Oobleck, who stepped in and nodded to the MP, saying "Thank you." The MP nodded back and left, closing the curtain and leaving Jaune and the doctor alone. Jaune swallowed nervously past the lump in his throat. Was he about to be thrown in jail? Fined? Executed? Oobleck brought a file before him, opening it up to the first page.**

"So, Dr. Oobleck is a medical officer for the military? I see he still strives for educational excellence," Ozpin remarked.

"Yes," Professor Goodwitch agreed. "Though instead of a degree in history and philosophy he went towards medicine, apparently."

"Dr. Oobleck has a degree in philosophy?" Ruby piped up. "I never knew that. I dunno how much he'd use it teaching or hunting…"

"Dr. Oobleck and I are of the mind that training one's intelligence is just as important as training physically, Miss Rose," Ozpin replied. "Knowing how to assess one's own worldview is the first step in knowing how to deal with Remnant's problems."

"**So," he began. "You want to go overseas. Kill some Nazis."**

**Jaune wasn't sure how to respond. "E-excuse me?"**

**The doctor extended his hand to Jaune. "Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck. I represent the Strategic Scientific Reserve." Jaune shakily stood and shook his hand.**

"**Jaune Arc," he managed to return. Doctor Oobleck let go of his hand and moved over to the cot, setting the open file on top of it, sifting through some documents. "Where are you from?" Jaune asked, curious. It sounded like…**

**The doctor glanced up at Jaune before returning to his file. "Vale City. Corner of 73****rd**** Street and Utopia Parkway. Before that, Atlas." There was a slight pause as if the doctor was gauging Jaune's reaction. "This troubles you?" he asked.**

**Jaune quickly shook his head no, affirming it with his voice. Oobleck gave a hum of interest and continued looking through the file. **

"Pretty provocative question there, doc," Yang remarked. "Heck of a way to start an interview."

"I'm sure that Dr. Oobleck is testing him somehow. Like whether or not Arc has any biases," Weiss said. "And I'm surprised you even know the meaning of the word provocative," she added snarkily. Yang just grinned at her.

"Feisty!"

"I wonder what the Strategic Scientific Reserve is?" Ruby asked aloud to herself.

"**Where are you from, Mr. Arc, hm?" the doctor asked. "Is it New Haven?" he turned a page. "Or Paramus?" Another page turn. "Five exams in five different cities." He continued flipping through pages in the file.**

**Jaune tried to cut in, growing more and more anxious. "That might not be the right file." The doctor shook his head.**

"**No, it's not the exams I'm interested in. It's the five tries." Oobleck finally looked up at Jaune, looking into his eyes with a piercing gaze, almost like he was trying to discern what exactly made Jaune tick. It made Jaune nervous. Oobleck finally closed the file, satisfied that he'd read all the relevant information. "But you didn't answer my question. Do you want to kill Nazis?" he asked, still affixing Jaune to the ground with that piercing gaze. Jaune looked around, heart beating hard.**

"**Is this a test?" he asked.**

"**Yes," the doctor confirmed. **

"A test, hm? Seems like a rather strange test for a military to run," Weiss said. Goodwitch was the one who answered her.

"Knowing Dr. Oobleck, this isn't just some arbitrary question given to him. I'd say he wants to know Jaune's character." Ozpin nodded in agreement and sipped from his mug.

"Jaune's character?" Blake asked. "Why would he want to know that? Seems rather unnecessary for joining the military." At least, it had been for the White Fang, she thought to herself.

Ozpin was the one who spoke this time. "Perhaps, however, Dr. Oobleck has never been one to ask anything without just cause. We shall have to wait and see, I suppose."

**Jaune took a deep breath and thought about the question. Did he want to kill Nazis? Eventually, he had an answer for the doctor. Jaune straightened a little, looking Dr. Oobleck in the eyes.**

"**I don't want to kill anyone," he began, voice firm and confident. "I don't like bullies. I don't care where they're from."**

**The doctor seemed to weigh his answer in his mind with a very thoughtful look on his face. He finally removed his piercing gaze from Jaune, and it was suddenly like Jaune could breathe again.**

"**Well," the doctor said. "There are already so many big men fighting this war. Maybe what we need now is a little guy, huh?" he finished with a smile. His eyes were less intense now and had a friendly look to them. "I can offer you a chance." The doctor left the room and stepped outside, opening Jaune's file and placing it on a desk. "Only a chance."**

**Jaune slumped in a rush of relief and exhilaration. He quickly followed Dr. Oobleck. "I'll take it!" he said quickly. This was what he had hoped for, what he had been waiting for!**

"What?!" Weiss exclaimed. "That's insane, Jaune is in no condition to fight!"

No one else could find any reason to contradict her, not that Yang didn't try for trying's sake.

"Naaah, we're about to see a whole new Jaune, guys! He'll be doing karate moves and kicking a- er, butt and taking names!"

"**Good," came the doctor's simple reply. He grabbed a stamp and inked it, turning to Jaune. "So where is the little guy from?" he asked. "Actually?" he clarified.**

"**Carleone," Jaune replied, a smile on his face. The rush of emotions he felt was almost too much to handle. Oobleck stamped the file with the code "1A", allowing Jaune to be recruited into the Valean Army.**

"**Congratulations, soldier," the doctor said as he began walking away. Jaune opened the file and looked at the stamp inside in wonder, taking a deep breath and smiling like he had just won the lottery. It was a big responsibility, he knew, but now he would actually get to have a chance. That's all he had ever wanted.**

"Carleone? Isn't that on the coast of Vale?" Blake asked. Ruby nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah! We used to go there for vacations all the time! It's _sooooooo_ cool!" she gushed. "They've got the ocean, and waterskiing, and fishing, and beaches, and- " Ruby wasn't able to continue because Yang grabbed her and clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Dad used to take us all the time," she clarified. "But then it got a little too expensive to stay at."

"If I recall correctly there's a port there that marks the closest point between Sanus and Anima," Ozpin remarked. "As such, it's a hub for commerce and transportation. And vacations," he chuckled.

**The scene transitioned to a cleared-out area that appeared to be some sort of boot camp. Various human and faunus men in uniforms marched, exercised, ran obstacle courses, or practiced with fire arms. Jaune and a group of other trainees were lined up side by side. They were cajoling and laughing with one another, though no one turned to address Jaune. From behind them, a young woman in a uniform that was darker than the other officers made her way in front of the men. She had straight blonde hair with a single braid framing a pale and petit face with full lips painted a dark red with some sort of lipstick and looked to be about the same age as Jaune. She walked with the brisk confidence that said at any given moment, she would be both capable and willing of putting any of the men down. Her emerald colored eyes also had a strong gaze to them that immediately caught Jaune's attention.**

"Professor Goodwitch?!" the students exclaimed. Yang whistled. "Looking good there, Ms. G!"

"It appears that I work for the military," Goodwitch said evenly. "Though I do wonder why I have a different uniform on. Is it because I'm of a different rank?"

Ozpin hummed in agreement, though he thought to himself that she did look good in that uniform. If only he were a few thousand years younger, he chuckled.

"**Recruits, attention!" she cried. Ms. Goodwitch had an accent that was similar to the one that Velvet had, they noticed. The line of men immediately formed up at attention, having had that drilled into them these past few weeks. The woman began pacing up and down their formation, addressing them directly. "Gentlemen, I am Agent Goodwitch. I supervise all operations for this division." One of the men, who had relaxed when he saw they were being addressed by a woman, interrupted her.**

"**What's with the broad?" he asked the soldier beside him dismissively. Agent Goodwitch stopped in front of him, her face schooled into a calm expression. "I thought I was signing up for the Valean Army, not the nurse division." **

**For a moment she didn't say anything, before asking the soldier, "What's your name, soldier?"**

"**Gilmore Hodge," he replied, chuckling a little.**

"**Step forward, Hodge," Agent Goodwitch commanded. He did so with a smirk to his other soldiers, most of whom were laughing silently to themselves, though Jaune did not. Another officer came forward and began handing out dossiers about their squad. "Put your right foot forward."**

"Uh oh, someone's in trouble~!" Yang cooed, laughing. She was excited to see the prof put out some good moves, show this soldier who's boss! Professor Goodwitch watching turned to the Librarian.

"Agent Goodwitch? Am I not part of Vale's military?"

The Librarian shook his head. "No. In this reality, Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo are in an alliance locked in a conflict against Menagerie and Atlas. You're a liaison from Mistral in the Strategic Scientific Reserve, a scientific division comprised of parts of all the Allies."

Something he'd said had caught Blake's attention. "Menagerie? Atlas and Menagerie are allies?" The Librarian nodded.

"Yes, though not by their alignment of interest, more their mutual disliking of the other three."

Blake turned back to the screen, wondering why Menagerie and Atlas hated the other kingdoms so much.

**Still smirking smugly, he did so. "Ooh, we gonna wrassle? 'Cause I got a few moves I know you'll like." He winked at her, then. Agent Goodwitch, with a quick but powerful right hook, knocked the man down to the ground. Now Jaune smiled, laughing at the other man getting taken down so quickly.**

"**Agent Goodwitch!" A new voice called from in front of them. A man in a high-ranking officer's uniform, a colonel, walked towards them. He looked middle-aged but not soft. He carried himself as if he were made of steel and the rest of the world made of cotton. Agent Goodwitch turned and went to stand at attention, saluting him. **

"**Colonel Phillips," she greeted.**

"**I can see that you are breaking in the candidates. That's good!" he said with some joviality, though now no one was laughing. He walked and stood over Gilmore. "Get your ass up out of that dirt and stand in that line at attention till somebody comes tells you what to do."**

"Nice one!" Yang cheered, laughing and pumping a fist in the air.

"That colonel must also be part of the SSR," Ozpin commented. "And appears to be senior to you, Glynda. Though I must agree with Ms. Xiao-Long, that was a rather nice strike."

Professor Goodwitch just shook her head at him, a small smile on her face.

**Hodge quickly did so, nose now bleeding. "Yes sir!" he sniffed, standing tall at attention. Colonel Phillips looked down the line of men, then began pacing just as Agent Goodwitch had done.**

"**General Ironwood has said that wars are fought with weapons, but they are won by men." Reaching the end of the line, he turned and began walking the other direction. "We are going to win this war because we have the best men." There was a slight pause as Colonel Phillips caught sight of Jaune, standing a full head shorter than any of the other men that were there. He glanced at Dr. Oobleck. Phillips knew that the kid was gonna be small, but this was ridiculous.**

"**And because they are going to get better," he continued, beginning to pace once more. "Much better." Jaune knew that was directed at him, but he could take it. This was his chance to prove himself. The scene suddenly shifted into a montage as Colonel Phillips' monologue continued, now showing Jaune on a cot as he reached inside a dresser for multiple books on war while the other men horsed around in the barracks. He was going to go through these as soon as he could and commit as much of them as possible to memory.**

"Aw, come on that's not fair!" Ruby protested loudly. "Just because he's small doesn't mean he's not ready!"

"Ruby, I'm pretty sure that there are at least 12 reasons why Jaune wouldn't be ready," Blake reminded her not unkindly. "Most of which are pretty debilitating."

"Oh yeah…" Ruby said, embarrassed. She'd forgotten all about his illnesses.

"_**The Strategic Scientific Reserve is an Allied effort made up of the best minds in the free world. Our goal is to create the best army in history. But every army starts with one man."**_

**The montage shifted to an exercise where the men were supposed to climb a rope lattice as fast as they could. Jaune managed to get halfway up before being forced to let go from pure exhaustion. Luckily his legs caught on the lattice, which meant that instead of falling head first into the ground he instead hung upside down by his legs, breathing hard as his asthma kicked in.**

"**Arc! Get off of there!" his drill sergeant screamed at him. Jaune was holding up some of the other men who also needed to climb.**

"_**At the end of this week, we will choose that man. He will be the first in a new breed of super-soldier."**_

**Now the montage showed an exercise where the men had to crawl through mud with barbed wire hanging over their heads. They were in full combat gear with rifles as well. Each of them knew that if they were to let any mud touch their rifles they'd be punished severely. Crawling in front of Jaune was Hodge, who looked back and upon seeing Jaune, kicked out one of the supports, causing it to collapse in front of Jaune, making passage nearly impossible. The other men laughed as they went. Once again, the drill sergeant called out.**

"**Arc! Get that rifle out of the mud!"**

Ruby gasped. "Super-soldier?! That's so cool!" she cried, stars in her eyes.

"So that's how Arc could be useful to the army," Weiss said. "They're going to try to turn him into a super soldier. Though," she added. "I can't imagine him being a good one. They have a lot of issues to overcome."

"Weiss," Ruby whined. "Stop being such a meanie!" Weiss relented with a sigh and rolled eyes.

"_**And they will personally escort Adolf Hitler to the gates of Hell."**_

**The men were running on a track course made of dirt that ringed the entire encampment. The course itself was excruciatingly long with many hills and backtracks to make it even longer. They came up on a lone flagpole with a single flag on it 20 feet up into the air. the drill sergeant called them to a halt. Jaune, who had been lagging behind, struggled to catch up and catch his breath. At least his asthma hadn't acted up yet. Agent Goodwitch and another unnamed soldier were in a jeep off to the side, seemingly waiting to get back to camp.**

**Jaune doubled over, panting and sweating. He felt like he was going to pass out. "That flag means we're only at the halfway point. First man to bring it to me gets a ride back with Agent Goodwitch! Move, move!" he yelled, and the other men scrambled at the opportunity to get a ride back with the beautiful agent. She was the topic of discussion among them many nights, but so far hadn't responded to their attempts at conversation. A couple men managed to leap onto the pole but were pulled down by their comrades as their drill sergeant yelled encouragement. Hodge managed to push the others away and give himself enough space to climb up the pole. He only made it a quarter of the way, however, before sliding down. Jaune didn't want to attempt, knowing he'd never be able to climb 20 feet. **_**There's gotta be a way,**_** he thought. Then he got an idea.**

"**Nobody's got that flag in 17 years!" the drill sergeant declared. He gave it a couple more seconds before commanding the recruits to fall back into formation. Only Jaune disobeyed, instead walking up to the flagpole now that there wasn't anyone around it.**

"I wonder what he's going to do?" Blake asked. "Clearly if everyone else, who are all more physically fit than him, can't climb the top, how can he?"

Ozpin smiled, having an idea of what he thought Mr. Arc would be doing. "Sometimes, children," he said, voice carrying over to them. "Instead of tackling a problem head-on, it is more prudent to practice lateral thinking."

"**Arc!" the sergeant screamed. "I said fall in!" At the base, Jaune found what he was looking for. Bending down, he reached for the pin that held the flagpole up, undid it, and let the flag pole crash to the ground. Goodwitch observed the whole thing with a barely concealed smile. It was fun seeing someone get one up over these muscle heads. Striding over, he grabbed the flag and handed it in to the drill sergeant with a polite "Thank you, sir." Then, he climbed into the back of Agent Goodwitch's jeep, nodding to her as the jeep drove away back into camp.**

"See?" Ozpin asked. That kind of out of the box thinking was one reason that Ozpin had accepted Jaune into Beacon.

"Woah, that was really cool!" Ruby said. "You go Jaune!"

**The scene cut back to the open field, now nearly one week later, as Agent Goodwitch stood before the men who were doing their exercises. Currently, they were doing push-ups as fast as they could, though not fast enough for her liking.**

"**Faster, ladies! Come on," she commanded. "My grandmother has more life in her, God rest her soul. Move it!" she barked. Jaune stood out among the rest, though not in a good way. His form was horrible, back curved inward and face straining as he struggled to keep up. Dr. Oobleck and Colonel Phillips approached, watching the whole thing.**

"Yeesh, that's even worse than I thought he'd do," Yang said critically.

"If this were any other military, I'm sure they would have removed him by now," Blake agreed. "But it appears that he's needed for whatever they're doing."

"**You're not really thinking about picking Arc, are you?" Colonel Phillips asked disdainfully.**

"**I'm more than just thinking about it. He is the clear choice!" Oobleck replied, adjusting his spectacles.**

"**When you brought a 90-pound asthmatic onto my army base," the colonel argued. "I let it slide. I thought, 'What the hell, maybe he'd be useful to you, like a gerbil.' I never thought you'd pick him."**

**Agent Goodwitch stopped the men and had them begin jumping jacks, Jaune struggling to get to his feet and lagging behind as he so often had during the exercises. Colonel Phillips continued speaking as he watched.**

"**You stick a needle in that kid's arm, it's gonna go right through him. Look at that!" he said, gesturing as Jaune nearly collapsed from the exhaustion. "He's making me cry," he said with a pained expression.**

"**I am looking for qualities beyond the physical," the doctor said firmly. He wouldn't budge about this. Phillips lowered his voice as he spoke.**

"**Do you know how long it took to set up this project? All the groveling I had to do in front of Councilor What's-His-Name's committees?"**

"**Brandt," Oobleck supplied. "Yes, I know. I am well aware of your efforts."**

"**Then throw me a bone," the colonel pressed. "Hodge passed every test we gave him." He gestured over to where Hodge was exercising. "He's big, he's fast. He obeys orders. He's a soldier."**

**Oobleck shook his head. "He's a bully," he said. Hodge was not going to get his hands on the doctor's serum. Phillips scoffed.**

"That must be the reason behind Dr. Oobleck's earlier question," Goodwitch remarked. "He was testing whether Jaune was a good person. Maybe he intended to pick Jaune from the very start."

"Wow, that's some serious planning then," Ruby said. "Why have everyone else doing stuff then?"

"Based on what the colonel is saying he might have had to in order to please his superiors," Ozpin said. "An organization like the SSR would have to have someone at the top running it."

"**You don't win wars with niceness, Doctor." He saw a box of dummy practice grenades on the truck behind Oobleck. Stepping over, he grabbed one and pulled the pin. "You win wars with guts," he emphasized, before tossing the grenade into the center of the group. "Grenade!" he yelled.**

**Hodge saw the grenade and yelled in fright. The men all scattered, each seeking cover. Everyone except for Jaune who, even tired as he was, leaped forward without thought, landing on the grenade and covering it with his body. Agent Goodwitch stepped forward but Jaune gestured wildly.**

"**Get away! Get back!" he yelled. Hodge peered over the hood of the jeep he was hiding behind. After a few tense seconds, someone called out.**

"**It's a dummy grenade. All clear, back in formation!"**

**The men in the camp, who had all seen the commotion, gradually began to return to what they were doing before. The SSR trainees all began to get out of hiding cautiously. Oobleck had a badly concealed smile on his face as he looked to Phillips, who looked irritated, to say the least. Jaune looked up at Agent Goodwitch, who was standing over him.**

"**Is this a test?" he asked, confused. Colonel Phillips finally looked at Dr. Oobleck, who shrugged, smile now under control. **

"**He's still skinny," the colonel muttered as he walked away. Now that Phillips was gone the doctor allowed his smile to come in full force as he saw Jaune pick himself back up off the ground.**

"Hah!" Ruby cried triumphantly. "Take that you jerk!"

"I suppose that Arc showed he had some measure of courage in that scenario," Weiss said reluctantly. "Certainly more than that brute Hodge."

"Oh?" Yang asked teasingly. "You starting to warm up to Ladykiller, Ice Queen?" Weiss scoffed in response.

"Hardly," she said. "I am merely acknowledging credit where credit is due."

**Later that night, after Jaune had been informed that he was going to be the selected candidate, Dr. Oobleck stopped by the barracks where Jaune was reading by himself. The other candidates had all been sent off to regular army divisions, no longer needed for testing. Oobleck knocked before entering, carrying a bottle of Schnapps and two glasses. He walked over and sat down on the cot opposite Jaune.**

"**Can't sleep?" he asked.**

"**Got the jitters, I guess," Jaune said as he shrugged. Oobleck nodded, chuckling.**

"**Me too."**

**Jaune hesitated for a moment, thinking. There was always something about this whole thing that had bothered him, but he'd never had the chance to ask. He decided that since this was his last chance, he had to go for it. "Can I ask you a question?" he began.**

**Dr. Oobleck curved an eyebrow. "Just one?" he asked, settling down and setting the bottle on the floor. Jaune visibly hesitated again.**

"**Why me?" he finally asked. It was something he'd thought about but could never come up with a complete answer.**

"That is a rather good question," Blake commented. "Anyone else would have let him go and chosen someone more likely to succeed."

"My guess is that Oobleck was looking for someone with the right character," Ozpin said. "After all, having all the military prowess in the world doesn't mean anything if you don't use it for something good."

"And if Mr. Arc has anything," Professor Goodwitch finished. "It's his conviction to make the world better. Ideals alone don't do anything, however. I guess we'll see how this pans out."

**Oobleck took a second to consider before answering. "I suppose that is the only question that matters," he sighed. Rather than immediately answer, he began with something else. Gesturing towards the bottle, he said, "This is from Mantle. My city." He looked down at the bottle, as if recalling an unpleasant memory. "So many people forget that the first country the Nazis invaded was their own. You know, after the last war, my people struggled. They felt weak. They felt small. And then Hitler comes along with the marching and the big show and the flags," he continued. This wasn't something Oobleck often talked about.**

"**And he hears of me. My work. And he finds me. And he says, 'You.' He says, 'You will make us strong.'" Oobleck scoffed. "Well, I am not interested. So, he sends the head of Hydra, his research division. A brilliant scientist by the name of Hazel Rainart. Now, Rainart is a member of the inner circle. And he is ambitious. He and Hitler share a passion for occult power and for Teutonic myth." Oobleck pauses, adjusting his glasses before he continued. Jaune sat with the book folded in his lap, enraptured by the story.**

Ozpin tensed up at the mention of Hazel Rainart, staring at the screen in shock. Professor Goodwitch noticed it, looking over to him in concern.

"Sir?" she asked quietly. "Is something wrong?"

After a moment Ozpin shook his head subtly at her. "No. Just heard something I didn't expect to."

"**Hitler uses his fantasies to inspire his followers. But, for Rainart, it is not fantasy. For him, it is real. He has become convinced that there is a great power hidden in the earth, left here by the gods, waiting to be seized by a superior man. So," he continued, clearing his throat. "When he hears about my formula and what it can do, he cannot resist. Rainart must become that superior man." Here Oobleck paused for a good length of time, and Jaune took the opportunity to ask the question that needed asking.**

"**Did it make him stronger?"**

**Oobleck nodded. "Yes. But there were other effects. The serum was not ready. But more important, the man," he stated, gesturing. "The serum amplifies everything that is inside, so good becomes great. Bad becomes worse." There was another pause as the two men considered each other before Oobleck continued. "This is why you were chosen. Because a strong man who has known power all his life may lose respect for that power, but a weak man knows the value of strength. And knows compassion."**

**It took Jaune a little to sift through all that the doctor was saying but overall it made sense to him. "Thanks, I think," he said with a smile. Dr. Oobleck handed Jaune two glasses and reached for the alcohol, pouring them each a generous amount.**

"**Whatever happens tomorrow, you must promise me one thing. That you will stay who you are," he said as he finished pouring and Jaune handed him a glass. "Not a perfect soldier, but a good man." He finished, pointing towards Jaune's heart with his finger.**

Most everyone felt that the doctor was right in this universe, and Ruby was smiling broadly. Ozpin sipped from his mug calmly.

"I believe that our Oobleck would be very satisfied by this version of him," he commented. Glynda nodded in agreement.

"Dr. Oobleck has always been a wise man," she echoed. Team RWBY all agreed with her silently, remembering their mission to Mountain Glenn with Oobleck. He'd proven to be much more than what they'd originally thought him to be.

**Jaune raised his glass like he was toasting. "To the little guys," he said. Oobleck clinked their glasses together and they went to drink. Just as the glass reached Jaune's lips, the doctor grabbed it from him.**

"**No, no. Wait, wait. What am I doing?" he cried. "No, you have procedure tomorrow. No fluids." He poured the alcohol from Jaune's glass into his own.**

"**Alright," Jaune said. "We'll drink it after."**

**Dr. Oobleck shook his head. "No, I don't have procedure tomorrow. Drink it after?" he scoffed. "Drink it now." **

**Jaune smiled and chuckled as the doctor did so.**

Everyone laughed at the exchange, reminded of how absent-minded their own Oobleck could be.

"So, I guess that it's do or die time for Jaune. Time to see if he can pull through whatever they're about to do."

"Of course he can!" Ruby cheered. "I believe in him!"

**The next day, Jaune was being escorted in an incognito military vehicle which resembled many of the other passing cars. In reality, it was lined with steel and had several guns hidden away in the event of an on-road ambush. The car drove through the streets of Vale City as Jaune, sat in the back seat alongside Agent Goodwitch, passed the time away looking at the buildings they passed. The car made a turn down a street that Jaune recognized.**

"**Hey, I know this neighborhood," he said. He pointed down an alleyway. "I got beat up in that alley." He pointed again. "And that parking lot. And behind that diner," he finished, looking down at the interior of the car. Agent Goodwitch looked like she was containing a small smile.**

"**Did you have something against running away?" she asked him. Jaune shook his head, though not as an answer to her question.**

"**You start running, they'll never let you stop," he said. "You stand up, you push back. They can't say no forever, right?"**

"Jeez," Ruby said, wincing. "He must have been bullied a lot."

"It seems he came back with a positive attitude, though," Blake said to reassure her. "All the better that he hasn't let it phase him. Too many people would let that put a chip on their shoulder."

"Arc has never been one to hold a grudge," Weiss agreed. "Even when he should."

"**I know a little of what that's like, to have every door shut in your face," she offered. **

"**I guess I just don't know why you'd want to join the Army if you were a beautiful dame," Jaune said without thinking. His mind caught up and he immediately went into panic mode. "O-or a beau- a woman. An agent. Not a dame." Agent Goodwitch looked at him incredulously as he stumbled over his words. "You are beautiful, but…" Frustrated, Jaune gave up, gesturing helplessly.**

"Classic Ladykiller!" Yang crowed, laughing uproariously. Ruby and Blake looked embarrassed for Jaune while Weiss put her head in her hands, shaking her head. Professor Goodwitch sighed as Ozpin gave a cheeky grin to her.

"It appears that you've enamored this Jaune, Glynda," He said teasingly. Goodwitch glared at him.

"Not another word, Ozpin," she threatened. "Not. One. Word."

Ozpin wisely turned back to the screen, though not without sipping from his mug to hide his smile.

"**You have no idea how to talk to a woman, do you?" Agent Goodwitch asked, shaking her head at him. Jaune chuckled nervously.**

"**I think this is the longest conversation I've had with one. Women aren't exactly lining up to dance with a guy they might step on."**

"**You must have danced," Agent Goodwitch inquired, more a statement than a question. **

**Jaune shrugged. "Well, asking a woman to dance always seemed so terrifying. And the past few years, it just didn't seem to matter that much. I figured I'd wait."**

"**For what?" she asked, confused and curious. Jaune looked out the window as he answered.**

"**The right partner." He didn't see Agent Goodwitch's smile, not that she wanted him to see it anyway. She turned and looked out her window as well as the ride continued. Thankfully Jaune was spared any more opportunities to embarrass himself by the car pulling up to the sidewalk. It seemed they were at their destination. Jaune stepped out, placing his cadet's cap on his head. Goodwitch also exited the vehicle and strode towards a shop behind Jaune. **

"**This way," she said, walking inside. Jaune stepped in right behind her as the bell over the door rang. Two men down the street seemed to take particular interest in the two. An elderly woman stepped out from the back and greeted Agent Goodwitch.**

"Seems like an odd place to have a super secret experiment," Ruby said confusedly. Ozpin mentally took note of the two men, a sinking feeling forming in his gut. Blake answered her instead.

"Well, if this is supposed to be a secret government project then it makes sense they wouldn't build a facility with a bright sign on it."

"Oh… right," Ruby said, embarrassed. She'd thought of that, she did!

Weiss scoffed at her while Yang was still busy laughing at Jaune.

"**Wonderful weather this morning, isn't it?" she asked mildly. Agent Goodwitch smiled politely.**

"**Yes, but I always carry an umbrella," she said politely. Jaune looked at them both, confused because Goodwitch definitely wasn't holding any sort of umbrella. The woman stepped behind the cashier's counter, pressing a button and nodding to them. The camera panned a little lower showing a gun strapped to the bottom of the counter. Goodwitch and Jaune stepped to the back, stopping before a bookshelf that ran from wall to wall. Suddenly, with the sound of gears, the bookshelf opened down the middle and swung towards them, revealing a bright and shiny hallway. Men in lab coats walked back and forth, talking with one another or consulting charts. A receptionist at a desk nodded to them as Goodwitch stepped forward, Jaune close behind. They walked down the hallway towards where the testing chamber was going to be. **

**Two men in uniforms saw them coming through the windows of double doors and opened them as they approached, entering the chamber. When they stepped in the lab had been bustling with activity. Though as more and more scientists noticed Jaune and Agent Goodwitch they stopped, causing the lab to fall silent as they stared at him. Jaune looked nervously to her and she gave him as reassuring a look as she was able to. She turned and walked down a set of metal stairs bolted to the wall and he followed behind, eventually leading down to the main chamber. Dr. Oobleck walked over and greeted them as they came to stop beside a large apparatus that looked like some kind of pod or locker.**

"**Good morning," he said, shaking Jaune's hand. A nearby photographer suddenly snapped a photo, the flash startling Jaune. "Please, not now," the doctor said irritatedly. The photographer apologized and then moved up to the viewing gallery. Oobleck addressed Jaune again in a calming voice. "Are you ready?"**

**Jaune nodded, unable to speak. His heart was pounding as he felt nervousness and fear edge into his mind.**

"**Good. Take off your shirt, your tie, and your hat," Dr. Oobleck instructed. Jaune nodded and began to do so, handing his clothing to a scientist who held out a hand for them. The doctor walked over to a console and began charting some data. Goodwitch, who was hovering nearby, wanted to be supportive but was not totally sure how to do so.**

"And now Jaune's giving her a show!" Yang joked. Glynda caught her eye and stared her down, making Yang turn her head towards the screen. Maybe she'd gone a little far this time.

**In the viewing gallery, Colonel Phillips, who was dressed in his finest uniform, walked up to a suited man. Several other men were walking around and talking with one another, eager to see the results of this supposed super-soldier program.**

"**Councilor Brandt, glad you could make it," he said, shaking the councilor's hand. The councilor decided to get right to the point.**

"**Why exactly am I in Vale City, Colonel?" he asked, slightly irritated at having to go out of his way to be here.**

"**We needed access to the city's power grid," Phillips replied steadily, not letting the councilor get under his skin just yet. Though that didn't stop him from pushing the issue of funding with the councilor. "Of course, if you'd given me the generators I'd requisitioned- "**

**Brandt interrupted him. "A lot of people are asking for funds, Colonel." Another man walked up to them, wearing a grey suit with large glasses. The councilor gestured to him. "Oh, this is um…"**

"**Fred Clemson, State Department," the man greeted, shaking the Colonel's hand. "If this project of yours comes through, we'd like to see it used for something other than headlines."**

**Something about the man struck Phillips as odd, but before he could think on it more, he was interrupted by the councilor finally seeing Jaune.**

"**Jesus, somebody get that kid a sandwich."**

Ozpin sinking feeling went further. This did not bode well. First the two men above and then this odd Fred Clemson.

"I guess the SSR has a funding problem," Weiss commented. It didn't really strike her as unusual. Research money for something as strange as this was hard to come by even in wealthy entities, like the SDC.

"Why does it, though?" Ruby asked. "If this is to help them win the war shouldn't it be given lots of money?" Ozpin shook his head, answering her.

"Sadly, it doesn't always work like that. People in charge like results, not endless testing. Should this prove successful I'm sure they'll be given more money."

**Down in the testing area, Jaune stepped up and laid down on the apparatus, trying to steady his breathing. A nurse strapped him in using a leather strap around his waist and two large metal pads onto his chest. Dr. Oobleck walked over to check on him.**

"**Comfortable?" he asked.**

**Jaune chuckled nervously. "It's a little big," he said. Oobleck chuckled to humor him. "You save me any of that schnapps?"**

**The doctor tilted his head apologetically. "Not as much as I should have. Sorry. Next time," he assured Jaune. Oobleck turned to address one of the other scientists. "Mr. Schnee, how are your levels?"**

"**Levels at one hundred percent," Jacques Schnee confirmed as he walked up to stand beside Dr. Oobleck. "We may dim half the lights in Vale City, but we are ready as we'll every be." He was staring at Jaune like he was an interesting specimen he'd just found. Jaune decided that he didn't like that one bit. Dr. Oobleck walked over to Goodwitch, who was still hovering nearby.**

"**Agent Goodwitch, don't you think you would be more comfortable in the booth?" he said, gesturing to the viewing gallery. She acquiesced immediately, giving Jaune one last look before ascending the stairs. Dr. Oobleck grabbed a microphone and flicked it, testing to see if it was on.**

"Wait, my father is there?" Weiss asked. "Why would he be there when he has his own company to run?"

"Maybe your dad works for the SSR," Ruby suggested. "Seems kinda important, to be honest."

"Well then they must be paying him exorbitantly for the effort," Weiss replied, lips pursed.

"_**Do you hear me? Is this on?" **_**After a moment he cleared his throat. **_**"Ladies and gentlemen, today we take not another step towards annihilation, but the first step on the path to peace."**_** Two scientists rolled out a container and opened it up, revealing several vials of a light blue liquid. **_**"We begin with a series of microinjections into the subject's major muscle groups. The serum infusion will cause immediate cellular change."**_** Two nurses began placing the vials into containers in the apparatus, using all of them except for one. Dr. Oobleck continued. **_**"And then, to stimulate growth, the subject will be saturated with Vita-Rays." **_**A nurse swabbed Jaune's left arm with alcohol and then inserted a syringe, pressing the plunger down. Jaune shut clenched his eyes shut as she did it. Preparing for the immense pain he was sure was about to happen.**

**Dr. Oobleck placed the microphone down and then stepped over to Jaune, who opened his eyes when he didn't feel much pain at all. Jaune looked up to him. "That wasn't so bad," he said.**

"**That was penicillin," Oobleck told him quietly. Jaune looked at him incredulously. Oobleck turned his head and raised his voice. "Serum infusion beginning in five," Colonel Phillips looked on in worry over his project. If it failed now, they'd never get another chance. "Four." Agent Goodwitch was worried for Jaune, concerned that he might not make it out of this alive, or worse, that he would be irreparably changed for the worse. "Three." Two metal pads lined with multiple syringes pressed down on Jaune, causing him to wince in pain. "Two." Dr. Oobleck kept an eye on Jaune, ready to shut this down if anything went wrong. He placed a comforting hand on Jaune's shoulder. "One!" **

Everyone leaned forward on the edge of their seats with bated breath, tense. If a pin were dropped, then it would've been heard clear across the room. This was it, do or die time for Jaune. They all hoped he'd make it through and be able to achieve his dream.

**A scientist flipped a switch, causing the syringes to start pumping the serum into Jaune's body. The pain was so immense that Jaune's body tensed up without him ever telling it to. It was like his veins were being injected with ice so cold that it burned, or molten liquid so hot it froze them. Oobleck gestured to Jacques.**

"**Now, Mr. Schnee."**

**He nodded and flipped another switch which caused the apparatus to tilt and rise until it stood vertically, Jaune held into it by the strap and various metal pieces attached to him. The sides of the apparatus closed until the whole thing surrounded him in an air tight seal of steel and lead. The Vita-Rays they were going to pump couldn't be allowed to escape the pod. A scientist hooked up a hose to allow oxygen to flow into the pod, turning it to lock it into place. Dr. Oobleck walked up to the pod and knocked on the front.**

"**Jaune? Can you hear me?"**

"**It's probably too late to go to the bathroom, right?" Jaune managed to joke through the pain. Assured that Jaune was okay, the doctor nodded to Schnee, who was standing by a valve wearing shaded goggles. Schnee turned a dial that allowed the Vita-Rays to start to irradiate the pod that Jaune was in. Colonel Phillips looked nervously over to the councilor that was sat on his left. Jacques began to turn the valve, which allowed more and more Vita-Rays into the pod. He began counting out the percentage of how much power was being let into the pod. The pod began to glow brightly, causing people not wearing shaded glasses or goggles to look away. Jacques steadily increased the power as other scientists read Jaune's vital signs as normal. Then, at 70% saturation, Jaune's vitals spiked as he suddenly screamed out in pain. It felt like all his nerves were being melted, then reconstructed, then melting all over again. Agent Goodwitch rushed out of the viewing gallery and onto the testing area. **

"**Shut it down!" she ordered as Dr. Oobleck pounded on the pod, trying to get a response from Jaune. "Shut it down!"**

**Oobleck turned and rushed down, pointing at Jacques. "Shut down the reactor, Mr. Schnee! Kill it, kill the reactor!" Jacques quickly rushed over to flip the kill switch on the reactor but was stopped by Jaune.**

"Get him out of there!" Ruby yelled suddenly standing up, eyes wide open. Weiss and Yang both had to pull her back down to her seat. His screams made it sounded like he was in immense agony. All of them secretly hoped that she wouldn't ever have to deal with something like that. Blake, Yang, and even Weiss had worried looks on their faces, while the adults were far more controlled. Ozpin commiserated with the young man, but, as he believed it, there was something to the old adage 'no pain no gain'.

"**No!" he shouted from within the pod. "Don't! I can do this!" he pleaded desperately. Jacques moved back to the valve and began turning it once again.**

"**Eighty!" he shouted. "Ninety!" Now the brightness coming from the pod was blinding, even to those who were wearing eye gear. "That's one hundred percent!" The console sustained one hundred percent power for a few seconds before it sparked. Soon, all the equipment in the area went dark from electrical feedback overload as the reactor automatically shut down. Silence was the only thing that came from the pod as they stared at it, waiting anxiously. Finally, Oobleck collected himself.**

"**Mr. Schnee?" he asked harshly, prodding him to open the pod. Jacques complied.**

**Steam wafted from within the pod as the doors opened, revealing a completely new Jaune. He was now over six feet tall, what had previously been a stick thin body was now complete with rippling muscles that ran from his arms all the way to his feet. He was covered in sweat and breathing heavily. Oobleck rushed up and helped him down, trying to get his attention. In the viewing gallery, the spectators all stood up in wonder and disbelief. The world's first true super-soldier. Colonel Phillips shook his head with a smile. "Son of a bitch did it," he said, laughing to himself. Behind him, Fred Clemson looked very interested in the results, standing to join the others in walking down to the testing area. He left behind a metal case that looked like it might have been for his glasses.**

Ruby nearly collapsed in relief. "He made it!"

"Worried about your boytoy, Ruby?" Yang teased her. While Ruby vehemently denied it and Weiss reprimanded them both, Blake got an eyeful of the new Jaune. Definitely fit, she decided. She also briefly wondered whether their Jaune could achieve the same sort of muscle mass at some point. An idea that might be worth pursuing.

**Jaune panted as he was helped down by Jacques and Oobleck, not quite able to stand on his own two feet yet. "I did it," he gasped out. The doctor chuckled.**

"**I think we did it."**

**Agent Goodwitch rushed up to him. It was strange after getting to know him that he was intimidatingly tall now. Her gaze ran up and down his chest and stomach, as if seeing him for the first time. "How do you feel?" she asked.**

**Jaune looked around, still catching his breath. Oobleck and Jacques gradually pulled away, letting him stand under his own power once they were sure that he wasn't going to fall over. "Taller," he breathed out. A nurse held out a white shirt for him to put on. Agent Goodwitch reached out as if to touch Jaune but got control of herself and instead grabbed the shirt and handed it to him. **

"Not one word, either of you," Goodwitch suddenly threatened. Ozpin and Yang both found other places to look than at her, an innocent look on both their faces. The Librarian laughed silently at the exchange.

"**You look taller," she confirmed as she placed the shirt over his head and helped him put it on.**

**Colonel Phillips walked down the steps and made his way to Arc, passing by Brandt. "How do you like Vale City now, councilor?" he cheekily asked as he walked by. The councilor shook his head in wonder. **

"**I can think of some folks in Atlas who are about to get very nervous," he said. Councilor Brandt also moved over to Dr. Oobleck to congratulate him on the success of his project.**

**Clemson stood apart from the group, looking around until he spotted the lone vial of serum left. Dr. Oobleck happened to catch a glance of Clemson, noticing that he was acting very suspicious. Fred Clemson pulled out a silver lighter from within his pocket, opening it and pressing a hidden button inside. Everyone on the testing grounds was knocked over as an explosion ripped through the viewing gallery. Taking advantage of the distraction, Fred Clemson snatched the vial and pulled a small handgun, pointing it at the recovering Dr. Oobleck. Two loud bangs sounded followed by two bullet wounds appearing in the doctor's chest. As he fell over the doctor had a shocked expression on his face.**

"No!" Glynda exclaimed. Ozpin watched the screen regretfully, all thoughts of teasing his aide gone. It pained him to see such a good man shot, but it was something he'd dealt with before time and time again. His fellow professor hadn't had that particular burden, however. Professor Goodwitch whirled on the Librarian.

"You didn't tell us we'd be forced to watch our friends and colleagues die," she accused. Men had withered to dust before the glare she was giving the Librarian, but he seemed unfazed.

"Things happen, miss. Before the day is out you will see much more death. Some of your friends, some of your enemies, some even of yourselves," he said not unkindly. "That is reality, and you've been chosen to see all this so please, sit down."

After a moment she did so, still distraught. Ozpin grabbed her shoulder reassuringly before they returned to the screen.

**Clemson ran up the stairs from the testing area, shooting an MP who got in his way. Before he was able to make it all the way up Agent Goodwitch, who drew her own pistol, shot him twice, once in the shoulder and once in the leg. The man managed to keep going and Agent Goodwitch ran after him to give chase. Jaune stood and raced over to Dr. Oobleck, at a loss for words. He'd come to think of the doctor as one of his friends, and now he was being taken away. **

**The doctor wanted to say so many things to Jaune, but he was so gravely injured he couldn't manage any words. Instead, using the last remnants of his strength he raised one hand and pointed at Jaune's heart. His strength failed as death claimed him, causing his hand to fall back down onto his chest. Jaune looked lost, but his expression firmed with anger and grief. He wasn't going to let that man get away. Jaune stood, sprinting up the stairs and through the hallway. He saw more casualties as he made his way through the bunker and into the shop, another guard and also the old woman running the front. **

"Oh no…" Ruby lamented sadly. "He shot his way through…"

Yang hugged her reassuringly with one arm. Weiss and Blake said nothing. They were all still shaken from seeing Dr. Oobleck die.

**Once he was at the door, he saw Agent Goodwitch standing in the street shooting at a taxi as it barreled towards her. Without thinking Jaune leaped forward, tackling Goodwitch and moving her out of the way. The taxi, which was being driven by Clemson, rushed by.**

"**I had him!" Goodwitch scolded Jaune as they picked themselves up off the ground. Jaune took off towards the cab, calling back an apologetic "Sorry!"**

**He got his feet under him and managed to get into a proper stride, able to see the brightly colored cab through the other drab vehicles. Clemson was only a block away from him but was pulling away fast. **_**Come on, Jaune, think!**_** he planned desperately. Up ahead, he saw the cab make a left turn, and Jaune copied it, knowing that the alley he was going into led into the next street over. When he made it, he saw that the cab had turned right, now driving away from him. Jaune tried to turn but was too late, unable to make such a sharp turn and crashing into a bridal boutique's window. He quickly got up and ran back out through the window he broke, shouting another "Sorry!" to the owners.**

"Come on, Jaune!" Ruby urged him on. "Catch him!"

"Yeah, kick his ass!" Yang said in agreement. Weiss and Blake echoed the sentiment. For once Professor Goodwitch didn't reprimand her. She also wanted to see this 'Fred Clemson' caught and punished severely. Ozpin merely watched, waiting to see what this 'super soldier' would be capable of.

**He turned into another alley hoping that he could get ahead of the cab. Two problems immediately came to Jaune as he sprinted, that the taxi raced across the street in front of him and that there was a large twelve-foot fence blocking his way. He didn't try to think about it, instead increasing his speed and **_**leaping**_** as high as he could, clearing the fence with room to spare. He ran out into the street, barely managing to stop before a passing car could hit him. Taking off once again towards the cab, Jaune saw that he was closing the distance now. Clemson was only a half-block ahead of him. The brick streets felt rough on Jaune's feet but not unbearable so. He felt as though he could keep going on like this for miles. **

**Clemson made a sharp turn, drifting the car expertly. The drift slowed him down and allowed Jaune to make up even more distance between them. Pushing himself even harder, Jaune saw an opportunity to make it to the car. Jumping, he landed on the hood of a passing car and ran along its roof, jumping to another car, and another one, before landing on a flat bed truck and using it to leap onto the roof of the cab. He gripped the sides of the taxi, securing himself on it before Clemson could try to shake him off. His grip shifted as Clemson made multiple sharp turns, leading Jaune towards the docks. Seeing that Jaune still clung to the car, the man placed his hand gun on the ceiling of the car, firing at random spots and hoping to hurt or kill Jaune. By either sheer luck or great skill, Jaune was able to dodge each of the bullets coming from the cab. Clemson swerved and he was forced to hang off the side of the cab, seeing the man through the passenger side window. He fired at Jaune, taking his eyes off the road.**

**The taxi collided with a truck and began rolling on its side down the street. Jaune, having managed to jump off before the cab crushed him, skidded down the road as well as pieces of the cab came flying off, including the passenger side door. Clemson kicked his door open and stumbled out of the cab, collapsing to his knees. He saw Jaune and fired wildly, missing. A crowd had gathered, and Clemson waved the gun threateningly at them which gave Jaune enough time to grab the taxi door and hold it up like a shield. Clemson fired twice more at him, both bullets piercing through the door and one grazing his side. It burned like hell, but he had just experienced much worse than this.**

"Take that to heart, students," Ozpin instructed. "If you need to find cover from gunfire, car doors should not be your first choice." None of the students responded to him, too intent on the scene happening before him to listen. He mentally shrugged and returned his attention to the screen.

**Clemson turned and grabbed a small boy from his mother, dragging him as he ran towards the pier. Jaune jogged after him holding his side, not wanting to provoke him into killing the kid.**

"**Get back!" the deranged man yelled, shooting once more. It missed Jaune, hitting the brick several feet to his right but causing him to take cover. Clemson took that opportunity to run the rest of the way to the pier, still holding the kid hostage. Jaune followed at a distance, not sure of where the other man was going. He stopped behind an oil tank and took cover behind it. Clemson fired one more time at him, creating a ping of metal on metal, before turning a corner, the kid struggling to get free the whole time. Jaune ran to that corner, peeking around it to see that Clemson had stopped, aiming a gun at Jaune. Suddenly he turned the pistol to the kid in his arms and Jaune leaped out of cover, arms held placatingly before him. **

They all gasped. "He would even kill a child!" Goodwitch exclaimed in shock and anger. "What kind of organization would allow that?!"

"One that wanted him to get his hands on the SSR's serum at any cost. That serum is more important to them than anyone's life," Ozpin answered solemnly. He'd seen countless people who had had similar mindsets. That the outcome justified the means. He'd had it himself sometimes when he was at his most desperate against Salem.

"**Wait, don't! Don't!" he pleaded, only for the other man to turn his pistol towards Jaune, pulling the trigger. The gun clicked, magazine completely spent. With a grimace and a grunt of effort, he threw the kid in his arms into the water, sprinting towards the end of the pier. Jaune ran over to where the kid landed in the water, looking for him. The boy treaded water and called up to Jaune.**

"**Go get him! I can swim!" he said, swimming towards a ladder that led up to the dock. Jaune nodded and took off towards Clemson, who flicked his lighter again and pressed a second button, calling up a sleek black submersible. The cockpit door popped open and Clemson jumped down into it, sealing it up and speeding off. Without hesitation Jaune sprinted to the edge of the dock and dove into the water, swimming to catch up to the submersible. It began to pull away and he pushed himself harder. He couldn't let this guy get away, no way in hell would he allow that! Slowly he began to catch up to the water craft, grabbing onto it firmly. Making his way up to the cockpit, he punched the glass, shattering it. Water poured in by the gallon as Jaune grabbed the cockpit and forced it open.**

**He grabbed Clemson and forced him back to the surface of the water. Using his newfound strength, he launched the man clear of the water and up onto the dock, pulling himself up after. He approached the man as Clemson grabbed a knife and slashed at Jaune. Jaune kicked him, causing him to drop the knife and to shatter the last vial of serum. Jaune grabbed Clemson by his lapels, forcing him to look Jaune in the eyes.**

"He caught him!" Ruby exclaimed in relief, slumping in her seat. She'd been on the edge of it for the entire chase. "Now we'll get some answers from him," she said.

"**Who the hell are you?" he demanded.**

"**The first of many," Clemson said spitefully. "Cut off one head, two more shall take its place!" Using his tongue, he loosened a fake tooth, crushing it in his mouth and releasing the deadly poison within. Clemson began to convulse and foam at the mouth, gasping out two more words as the poison killed him.**

"**Hail Hydra!"**

**Jaune let him go, shocked that the man had done that. Then, he remembered that Dr. Oobleck had told him about Hydra earlier. Hitler's personal research division. They had to be stopped, and Jaune decided with a steely resolve that he had to be the one to stop them, no matter what it took. He looked down at his new body once more, as if realizing what he had just done. Chase a man in a car through Vale City, and he was only a bit winded! This would help him, he realized. He just had to convince the Colonel to send him to fight Hydra. And then he would stop them before they could do something even worse than what they'd already done.**

They were all speechless at seeing someone so casually take their own life, all out loyalty to a cause. Ruby shuddered to think of someone so blindly devoted to something as to do that. Finally, Ozpin spoke.

"I suppose now we know where he came from. He worked for Hydra. Brothers help them because after this I'm sure Jaune is going to hunt them down with extreme prejudice."

"I hope he does," Glynda said vehemently. "A group like that shouldn't be allowed to exist. They'd end up destroying Remnant." They all silently agreed and turned back to the screen, ready to see more but wary of what might be shown.

* * *

**So, there we have it! Like I said, should only be one or two more chapters for Captain Vale. I also saw in the comments several people made guesses as to who the Peggy Carter stand-in would be. I thought about choosing someone like Weiss, or Blake, or Winter, but ultimately I decided to go with Glynda. Mostly because I plan on doing more of the Captain America series, and I need those characters open for other slots. I'll see you all next week with the next chapter!**


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